Take Back System for Household E-Waste Management in

Malaysia

Presented during MoT’s Rinkou10th December 2015

by: Zaipul Anwar

To shift Malaysia’s e-waste management system from only focusing on funding from government and taxpayer, to the one that relies on producer responsibility in order to reduce public costs and drive improvements in product design to promote environmental sustainability.

Objective

Now: Waste is a Local Authority Responsibility (e-waste is included in the collection but no system established yet)

ProducersTaxpayers/Community

Future: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) or Take Back System

Producers

Consumer

Method suggested (in e-waste management) is to use what is called the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). It is a strategy designed to promote the integration of environmental costs associated with electronic and electrical products throughout their life cycles.

The other term used is: Take Back / Buy Back

Method

Reason for skyrocketing volume of e-waste:

Disposable Design

Fastest growing

product typeVolume & Size

Example: Products that are designed for

disposal

Take-Back Requirements are (Based on literature study and interview):

Most focus on Producer

Responsibility

Require product to be

design for 3R’s: Reduce,

Reuse, Recycle

Usually require fees

Require infrastructure for collection,

recovery and/or

recycling

Require labelling/tagg

ing for easy collection

Take-Back Requirements

Examples in other country:

Europe: • Requires producers to participate in recycling schemes• Requires labeling

South America: • Will require take-back of batteries, electronic equipment,

certain lamps

Recyclable Recoverable

Compostable Biodegradable

Products Design Requirements to meet Take Back Systems

Take Back Systems Approach:Roles and Responsibilities

Producers

Retailers

Consumers

State Government

Local Government

Haulers

Recyclers

Roles and Responsibilities(continued)

Producers: Product design planning program to achieve defined outcome & involve in the EOL management

Roles and Responsibilities(continued)

Retailers: Provide information from producers to customers & collection

Roles and Responsibilities(continued)

Consumers: Participate in collection systems and for end of life product management.

Roles and Responsibilities(continued)

State Government: Establish statutory requirements and regulations to achieve goals, using guiding principles

Roles and Responsibilities(continued)

Local Authority: Explore system effectiveness with stakeholders

Roles and Responsibilities(continued)

Collectors and Recyclers: Provide safe collection and handling of products and materials with compensation

Next Step

To acquire consensus from relevant parties (as mentioned just now) to agree with

their roles and responsibilities.